PINT-SIZED POUR: ENJOY BY 09.21.12 IPA

Contents under pressure: Because Stone’s new double IPA is an experiment in fresh, vivid flavors, retailers are required to return to the brewery all bottles that are unsold as of Sept. 21. I downed three bottles of “Enjoy by 09.21.12” in a week and found the first zestier than the last. The power of suggestion, or is this India Pale Ale fading?

What’s the rush?: “Enjoy By” uses a bushelful of hop varieties. Catching all these ingredients at their peak condition is tricky, and may explain the breathless 35-day cycle between bottling and recall. And do I detect a touch of marketing genius from the folks who brought us Arrogant Bastard Ale?

Results: At its peak, “Enjoy By” offers a strong, beguiling aroma blending pine cones with pineapple and oranges; a unique flavor, white pepper sprinkled across water biscuits topped by tropical and citrus fruit; a slick, oily texture; and a dry, clean finish.

Numbers: 9.4 percent alcohol by volume; 88 bittering units.

Note: Beers are rated from zero to five bottles, with five reserved for beers that reduce grizzled ale hounds to Bieber Feverish howls of joy.